Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East and ItsHerWay Launch ‘The Leave of Absence’ – A Campaign Turning Miscarriage Grief into Corporate Action
Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East and UAE-based women’s platform ItsHerWay have launched The Leave of Absence — the country’s first corporate pledge encouraging businesses to introduce formal miscarriage bereavement leave policies.
In a campaign that blends powerful creative with a call for systemic change, Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East and UAE-based women’s platform ItsHerWay have launched The Leave of Absence — the country’s first corporate pledge encouraging businesses to introduce formal miscarriage bereavement leave policies.
More than 1 in 5 pregnancies globally end in miscarriage — a figure that holds true in the UAE. And yet, in a 2024 survey, 95% of women and men who experienced miscarriage while employed said they took no leave to recover from the grief. While policies may exist, many go unspoken, inconsistently implemented, or remain difficult to access due to cultural discomfort and lack of open dialogue. As a result, the loss of a child before birth is often not treated as a loss at all.
The Leave of Absence aims to change that. The initiative invites companies to adopt compassionate leave policies that recognise miscarriage for what it is — a human experience that deserves space and empathy. The pledge is available online for both HR leaders and employees, along with a downloadable toolkit.
At the heart of the campaign is The Needed Space, a short film created by Saatchi & Saatchi ME and directed by Tahaab Rais, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe MENAT. The film unfolds wordlessly, moving through empty nurseries — a crib untouched, baby socks folded, a swing moved by wind — offering a visual representation of grief through absence, rather than presence. It is set to a lullaby-like version of Sweet Child O’ Mine, adapted to underscore the emotional weight without using dialogue.
This film is not only spreading awareness, but it’s also act as the trigger point for the entire pledge. The film redirects viewers to the website, where they can download a template of the pledge and submit to their own HR departments. It’s also where heads of companies can sign the pledge to show their support for the cause and implement miscarriage leave for both women and men.
In addition, ItsHerWay is also setting up sessions with psychologist for all women and men needing support with coping with miscarriage grief.
